Sheikh Ahmad is linked to a bride scheme, yet due to his power, he remains involved in soccer shows. It is a testament to how the most influential sports figures often have the power to maintain their grip on things.

Mariyam Mohammed felt that after over a decade of women’s soccer involvement she could make a convincing case to the voters that select Asia’s female representative on the governing council of FIFA. What she did not realize was just how powerful an Arab sheikh could be or how significant his role is in deciding who gets selected for top soccer.

Mahfuza Akhter Kiron from Bangladesh was re-elected a week ago by the Asian Football Confederation. She is basically an unknown player who beat some of the more experienced players in 2017 challenges, although she hardly got a word in during her $250,000 per year tenure. What Kiron did have on her side was the backing by Sheik Ahmad, who steers voters towards desired outcomes.

Resigned & Promised to Withdraw from Soccer

According to the complaint that Mohammed filed with numerous officials and the A.F.C. election panel, of which copies were sent to FIFA and the New York Times. The Sheikh that manages the Olympic Council of Asia, was identified by the Department of Justice as a co-conspirator in soccer corruption in 2017. He then resigned from FIFA and at the same time promised to withdraw from soccer.

A.F.C Elections Made in Sheikh’s Private Suite

The luxury suite of the sheikh at the A.F.C elections was close to the Kuala Lumpur Hyatt Hotel where all voters gathered. Officials that met with the sheikh, which included the soccer official from the Maldives, Mohammed, the decisions were made in his suite. During a New York Times interview, Mohamed provided the reporters with a glimpse of just how power functions at the highest soccer levels. Nothing if anything has changed since the major scandal in 2015.

It was also Sheikh Ahmad that told her to remove herself out of the soccer election as Kiron was already selected. If she adhered to his request, he would place her in another position, either within Asian soccer or even FIFA. Should she decide not to play by his rules it would be the end of her career, plus the country would suffer. Ahmad told her that it is all about politics and not soccer, nothing is based on experience, it all has to do with relationships.

Even though Mohammed begged him to change his mind, he was not interested. A spokesman at the Asian Olympic Council for Ahmad, simply never responded to the comment request. Ahmad was also the co-conspirator in including soccer elections in the USA, and according to a guilty plea of his former associate, he received $1 million for succeeding. A year ago, he was forced to step away from his I.O.C. position, temporarily due to the new scandal. He was indicted by the Swiss authorities for forgery charges.